A MAJOR Cumbrian employer has said it's still hoping for a 'positive outcome' to pay negotiations after workers said they intend to act on their mandate to strike.
Members of the GMB union who work at the McVitie's and Carr's factory in Carlisle voted for strike action.
There is no date announced yet, but the mandate to strike was issued on November 18 after a union-wide vote among the workers there was returned.
This is in response to the workers being offered a 4.25 per cent pay rise and a £500 one-off payment, which they are refusing.
The biscuit factory is a well-known local landmark having been ever-present in the city since 1831 and is a major employer, currently providing around 750 jobs to residents in the area.
Oli Slack, GMB North West and Irish region regional organiser, said that there are no concrete plans as of yet in terms of how many days they are going to be going on strike, but it will disrupt the town.
He spoke of their fellow strikers at the Jacob’s factory in Aintree, Liverpool, who he said have been out for just under six weeks.
Mr Slack said that as a result of the strike, production from that Jacob’s factory has been moved to various other factories, including the McVitie's factory in Carlisle.
McVitie's, Carr's and Jacob’s are owned by parent company Pladis.
Mr Slack said their strike will not only impact Pladis but also the public.
He said with the placement of the factory, pedestrian and vehicular traffic will be disrupted by pickets.
He added that, despite the date and duration of this strike not being decided yet, they are all prepared to strike for longer and on other days if needed to achieve their aims.
A spokesperson from Pladis said: “We can confirm there was a vote on potential industrial action held by members of the GMB Union at our Carlisle factory.
“We are waiting to discuss the outcome of the vote with GMB representatives as we look to agree on a positive outcome to pay negotiations for our employees.”
The spokesperson added that it is Pladis’s 'most earnest intention' to engage in conversation with the workers at the factory to avoid industrial action.
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